Brawn reveal causes about 2012 Mercedes slump

Ross Brawn explains that 2012 Mercedes W03 second half performance fall short following the team makes an aerodynamic department changes in mid-season.

Mercedes was strongly started 2012 F1 campaign; several times they are command best qualifying position, also Rosberg took his first top podium finish from the Pole position.

But they are struggled in second half of the season with aerodynamics, Coanda exhausts design and double DRS fail. Mercedes’ podium winner Rosberg finally trailing world champion Vettel by 189 points and Michael Schumacher’s sixth place in Brazil its only points finish from the final six grands prix.

Mercedes Team principal Brawn believes that the exit of head of aerodynamics Loic Bigois, coupled with a change in wind tunnel philosophy while the team try out with Coanda exhausts and double DRS, also played a key pressure.

“We made a decision to change the structure of the aero group. We had to wait for [new aero chief] Mike Elliot to join us because we had a notice period he had to fulfil at Lotus,” Brawn is quoted as saying by Autosport.

“We concluded the situation with Loic and there was a gap that we didn’t fill very well. On top of that we were doing the transition from 50 per cent to 60 per cent models in the windtunnel, and there were a lot of other things in the aero group as well. It did have an impact.”

“Our conclusion was that we would get a much more representative tyre at 60 per cent than at 50 per cent. Pirelli have to make 50 per cent and 60 per cent windtunnel tyres. There are only two teams that are still doing 50 per cent.” He added.

“Even with Pirelli’s best efforts, they’re going to be getting better feedback about 60 per cent tyres than 50 per cent. So we wanted to make the move.

“The other thing that has happened over the years is that you’re putting more and more equipment inside the windtunnel model to measure, monitor and check. We just ran out of space in the 50 per cent model.

“There were things that we wanted to do that we couldn’t do, and we needed the 60 per cent model to accommodate those features. Sixty per cent is the legal limit you can go to, there is no further step we can make.”